Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-10-28
RECENT AFRICAN ira VELS
Interesting Discoveries by the Explorer
Wolf.

w Olis
Dr. Ludwig Wolf, says the New York
Sun, the eminent African explorer, who a
year and half ago made the great discov-
cry that the Kassai Sankuru and Iomami
rivers form a hitherto unknown and excel
lent waterway from the Congo, a little
above Stanley Pool, about 100 miles east to
the very heart Of the continent, in a paper
he recently read before the British Assoca-
ton, gives some of the most interesting in
cidents Of his long journey up the Sankuru
and Lomami rivers. The I.omami is a trib-
utary of the Sankuru, and, taken together,
they nearly subtend the great northern
bend of the Congo
For 300 miles up the river Dr. Wolf met
a great many canoes. Many Of them were
Of enormous size, twice the length of his
little steamer, and they easily accommodat-
ed 20 rowers. 1t was picturesque sight
to see these great canoes with their force
of rowers all standing up and plying their
! paddles so effectively that they could far
outstrip the steamer in speed. OF course
the white man and his putting steamboat
created immense excitement and astonish-
ment but very little fear was manifested
Some Of the natives were inclined to be hos
tile, and one powerful tribe, the Bassongo
| MinO, confessed themselves to be cannibals.
| The colored cloths and trinkets displayed
| by the traveller excited their astonishment
and envy, and as DR.. Wolf declined 10
| give all his pretty things away, they decid-
| Ell to take them without asking permission.
One morning some Of these warriors
were overheard talking the matter over
They said it would be very easy to kill the
white man and his small party, chop them
up for food and seize the steamer and all
the beautiful things it contained. One of
DR.. Wolfs helpers, a large heshy man, ex
cited their particular admiration, and they
regarded him much as a farmer does prize
porker. As preliminary to their scheme
Of serious hostility, they began to pick
luarrels with the explorers men. Their
chief, IDngolata, became very insolent, and
told DR.. Wolf he had him quite at his mer-
cy. The explorer aud his little force show
ed their guns to the natives. who merely
laughed. They thought the guns as harm
les, as So many cudges cut from a thicket,
aud in their ignorance did not regard them
as weapons at ALL
DR. Wolf was now able to do what many
another explorer has done when hostile
-avages counting the little band Of strang
ers whom they believed they had wholly in
their power, have decided 10 utterly de
stroy them. He simply paralyzed the ma
tives by giving them a little idea of the
mysterious properties Of his shooting irons
While he was standing by the side Of the
saucy chief trying to placate that import
ant savage, the explorer suddenly drew his
revolver. held it close to the chiefs ear and
discharged H. The effect was magical The
chief shivered from head 10 foot with fear
He had never had such tingliuR in his ears
before. and he took hold of them to see if
they we're still there. The big crowd Of
yelling, ips5leHt natives were struck dumb
with astonlshment aui horror. II required
the explosion Of only one cartridge to con
vince the savages that these visitors were
very superior beings, who must be treated
with due courtesy and respect The poll
tic chief at once pretended to be the ex-
plorers most excellent friend, sent him a
present Of twG qL,Gkpns and sent him on
his way unmolested.
Far up the Sankuru, however, Dr Wolf
found natives who, though they had never
seen white men, still had plenty Of guns
not the worthless hint locks which are pro
vIded by thousands to the natives Of West
how to use them, too These natives are
the people of the powerful Chief Zappu
Zapp He is an ally of the big Arab slave
dealers of Nyangwe, the noted Arab head
quarters on the Congo, about 200 miles
northeast Of Zappu Lapps territory. He
Is the terror of all the tribes around him,
because his guns make him resistless, and
he wages war for no other purpose than to
procure slaves to sell TO the Arabs who
supply him with guns and ammunition. 1t
appears, then that when the Congo State
kills the slave trade at Stanley Falls it will
have another nest Of slaycrs TO destroy on
the Upper Sankuru, TO say nothing Of the |
many stations of slavers far up the Congo
and between that river and Lake Tangany- |
ika. il has a big contract on hand if it in
tends TO clear its territory of Arab slavers. |
One day when DR.. Wolf was tramping |
through forest he suddenly came to a |
grassy opening and saw before him a large |
village of the Batua dwarfs, whom Stanley |
heard Of when he first descended the Con |
20, though he did not see them These Gu
rious little creatures, who are spread over |
a large extent of country south of the |
Congo are very similar to the Aka dwarfs |
whom Schwsinfurth discovered north of |
that river They are timid little folks. and |
they would doubtless have run away if they |
had seen DR.. Wolf before he had suddenly |
appeared among them. He found them |
living in mean-looking grass huts Around |
their village were many carefully covered |
pitfalls, nine TO twelve feet deep, which |
they had dug for the purpose Of catching
any elephants, buifaloes and wild boars |
that might venture out Of the forest to
feed in the grassy glade where the dwarfs
lived.
The Baluba, whom Wolf and Wissmann
found about 100 miles south of the june
ton Of the Kassai and Sankuru rivers, are
among the gentlest and most intelligent
peoples who have been found in Africa
They have, however. ono exceedingly bad
practice. DR.. Wolf says that they have
become very fond of guns since trading
tribes who live nearer the white men have
introduced these weapons among them, and
they will sell their daughters and even their
wives TO procure guns and ammunition.
These people have meny excellent proverbs
and maXims, such as these Law is better
than force and Life is better than
wealth They are regarded as being in
most respects peculiarly amenable to civil
iZing influences. For all that they support
one of the greatest native slave markets in
Africa, aud DR.. Wolf says it will take a
long time and strong civilizing influences
before their devotion to the slave trade will
cease. They do not understand that there
is anything wrong in selling their wives
and children.
There is this striking popularity, how
ever about their slave trade. They buy
thousands Of slaves every year from other
tribes and they treat them so we'll that the
slaves can hardly be distinguished by
stranger from members of the tribe. In
their export slave trade, as a rule they sell
ouly troublesome individuals whom they
are anxious to get rid of. Awhile ago the
people in South Baluba became very much
dissatisfied with one of their chiefs, whose
numerous wars with other tribes cost the
lives Of many of his subjects. They finally
decided that the best way to get rid of him
was to sell him into slavery. They put him
lp for sale in the great slave market at Alu-
lengs. and were glad TO let him go for 10
goats, which they killed, and divided the
meat among the relatives of some of the
men who had lost their lives in his battles
When DR., Wolf told one Baluba chief
hat it was very wrong TO sell his wives
he chief took him apart and explained to
lim in confidence that the Baluba never
iold good wives but only troublesome wom-
N, whom they couldn't get along with,
The Missouri Grand Lodge of Masons has
ioted not to admit To membership in the
'rder saloon keepers and liquor dealers.
Rev G. H. SpuPgeon Is credited with